Silo



E. STEWART.

` l suo. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30. 1920.

Patented Nov. 3o, 1920.

9 Burnin 'i' ness.

UNITED STATES EDWARD STEWART, F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA. i

sILo.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 30, 1920.

Application filed March 30, 1920. Serial No. 370,039.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD STEWART, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented a certain new and useful Silo, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a silo structure of wooden boards or strips so constructed and connected together. in the silo as to make a strong rigid construction with thestrip's arranged horizontally and so connected and having such cofacting parts as to prevent the discharge of moisture inwardly or outwardly through the silo wall.

A further object is to provide such a silo structure having parts which maybe made of standard sizes and shapes in lefts and rights and so connected together as to accomplish the objects above mentioned.

1With these and other objects in view my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claim and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

in which:

Figure 1 shows a front elevaton of a silo embodying` my invention.

Fig. 2 shows a vertical, sectional view through a portion of the silo wall. Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of a fragment of asilo wall, one course of the wooden boards or strips being spaced above the next lower course to killustrate the manner of assembling the device.

Fig. 1 shows a plan view of one of the boards or strips; and n 5 shows a similar view of another board or strip.

For the main part of the wall structure of my silo I use two types of strips or bowards.

The two types are illustrated in Figs. 1 and One type is used in laying on course and the other type in laying the next adj acent alternate course.`

The strip or unit shown in Fig. 1 isindi# cated. by the reference character 1() and is beveled or cut obliquely at its ends and is longer at its inner than at its outer edge as shown.

T he angles of the bevelso theends 11 and 12 depend upon the size of wall which is to be built. f

At the one end ot' each strip or unit 10 ad jacent the inner edge thereof is a notch 13, one wall A of which is parallel with the outer and inner edges of the unit, and the other wall B of which is parallel with the beveled end 12.

The unit is provided on its upper surface .with spaced longitudinal ribs 14: and 15 which are spaced from the inner and outer edges respectively of the unit, and 'which extend from the beveled end 11 toward the other end of the unit and extend at said other end beyond the projected line of the edge B.

The ends of the ribs 14: and 15 adjacent to the end 12 of the unit are beveled as at C. The unit 10 is provided near the end 12 and substantially mid-way between its side edges with a vertical hole 16.

The other unit, indicated by the reference character 17, has the beveled ends 18 and 19. At its inner edge and adjacent to the end 18, the unit 17 has a notch 2O similar in general construction to the notch 13, having one wall D parallel with the inner and outer edges of the unit and another wall E parallel with the end 18.

On the upper surfaces of the unit 17 are longitudinal ribs 21 and 22 extending from the end 19 toward the other endl of the unit and extending beyond the projected line of the edge E, as shown in Fig. 5. The ends of the ribs 21 and 22 are beveled as at F in a plane parallel with that of the face of the beveled end 18.

Each unit is provided on its under surface with spaced grooves 23 which are slightly deeper and wider than the height or the ribs 111', 15, 21 and 22, as shown in Fig. 2.

In building my improved silo, the foundation 2411 is lirst provided.

The lower course or layer of the units is then laid.

Assuming that in the lower course units 10, are employed, the units are laid as shown in thetop course in Fig. 3.

The beveledy end 11l 0f yone unitiis var.- ranged projecting into the notch 13 of the adjacent unit, as shown atthe upper partk of Fig. 3. The next course is'then laid .from the unit 17. In each unit 17near the end 18 is a hole 25, The unit 17 is placed above one of the units 10, with the end 18 projecting beyond the end 11 of the next lower unit 10, and overlapping the ond 12 ot one of the lower units 10, in such manner that the holes 25 and 1G register with each other.

rlhe end 19 of each unit 17 is arranged to project into the notch 2O ot an adjacent unit 17 in the same course.

The end 19 ot each unit 17 is arranged Hush with the ends C of the ribs of the units 1() of the next lower and upper units 10.

It will be seen that with this construction, each unit 10 is interlocked at its ends with adjacent units 10, and that each unit 17 is interlocked at itsv ends with adjacent units 17.

It will also be observed that each unit 10 overlaps a unit 17 at its end 11 and is overlapped by the unit 17 at the end 12, so that joints are broken in alternate courses.

After a few of the units have been laid upright rods 26 are inserted through the holes 16 and 25.

Each unit 10 is located on one of the rods at its right-hand end, and each unit 17 is located on one of the rods at its lett-hand end.

The rods are so arranged as to successively break the joints it more than one rod is used in vertical alinement.

The ribs or tongues and grooves are so arranged that the grooves ot each upper course receive ribs or tongues ot the next lower course.

The parts are so arranged that the edge D of the unit 17 fits against the edges ot the ribs 14 and 15 ot the unit 10.

In Fig. 3 I have shown the top course slightly raised above the next lower course to better illustrate the parts.

lt will be noted that when the top course is resting upon the next lower course, the joints between the units 10 will not register with the joints between the units 17.

As the courses are laid nails 27 are driven into the units of several courses, as indicated in Fig. 2. The nails are started just outside and inside the respective ribs 14, 15 and 21 and *22, as illustrated. and are inclined downwardly and inwardly, and dowA i 'ardly and outwardly, respectively, as shown,

The outer nails are driven llirst, and it will be seen that this tends to draw the upper courses inwardly with relation to the lower courses for forcing` the units into tight fitting joints. The inner nils may be omitted it desired.

At the corners I place upright boards 28 as shown, on the outside o' the silo structure. At the inner corners are placed upright wooden members or the like 29 with beveled faces to tit the inner 'ace of the wall.

It Ywill be seen that moisture will not travel inwardly or outwardly through the silo wall. The corners are protected against such travel of moisture by the members 2S and 29.

Between the corners the travel ot moisture is prevented by the arrangement ot the ribs and grooves.

Moisture from the ensilage traveling out wardly between two courses, will not travel through the hollow space between the inner rib and the next unit above.

rl"he arrangement ot the grooves deeper than the ribs or tongues not only prevents the discharge ot moisture inwardly or outwardly through the silo wall, but also provides for expansion and contraction of the units.

It will be understood that suitable doors 30 may be provided and that a root 31 may be placed on the silo in the ordinary way.

The advantages of a structure such as that herein described may be lar ely seen trom the foregoing description ot my silo.

I have provided an absolutely rigid silo which may be made at relatively small pense.

The units may be made oi relatively small pieces of lumber which7 in many instances, would otherwise be wasted, and can, theretore, be purchased at lower prices.

Each unit is locked to its nent adjacent unit and is held in position on the rib 26.

The units ot one course are locked to the units of the next upper and lower course by the tongue and groove structure, and by the ribs 26.

@n account ot the ribs 2G, which are alternately inserted through the units in dillerent courses, the resulting` silo structure will be upright and will not twist.

Twisting is also prevented by the structure at the ends ot the respective units in the course in their interlocking' feature and rods, and by the arrangement ot the ribs and grooves.

Some changes `may be made in the construction and arrangement of the various parts of' my improved silo structure without departing;- from the 'real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claim any modified forms ot structure` or usc of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope,

l claim as my invention:

ln a polygonal silo structure, a series ol superposed courses, one course comprisin;r a series oi' units, each having its ends positely beveled trom the edge ot the unit outwardly and toward cach other, and haw infr near one end at its inner edge a notch with one wall parallel with the inner and outer edges of the unit, and the other wall parallel with the adjacent beveled edge said unit having` grooves in one side and liavinf ribs on the other side formed with beveled lill) ends parallel with and spaced from the nearest beveled end of the unit, and extending beyond the projected plane of the last described Wall of said notch, each unit of the course having one end received in the notch of the next unit, an alternate course comprising' a similar series of units, each having its notch at its opposite end from that of the first unit, each unit in each course being laid With one Wall of its notch 10 abutting against the beveled ends of the ribs of a unit of an alternate course, Whereby each unit is locked against movement in everv direction.

Des

oines, Iowa, March 22, 1920.

EDWARD STEWART. 

